Khthonios
by CultOfStrawberry
Summary: Long before Aidoneus Zagreus Khthonios was the mighty ruler of the Underworld, he was the cast-aside offspring of the Devourer. Hades escapes his father's clutches and struggles to find his destiny, one that is far greater than his birthright.
1. Prologue - Ouranos

**Khthonios**

o0o

Though Hades is a creature of the darkness, he remembers a time when there was only light. It may be hard to believe that the dread Lord of the Underworld could have ever been anything but. However, Fate decreed that he should not keep his innocence for very long, because of the violent legacy that preceded him.

 **Ouranos**

o0o

No, _no_. It could not possibly end like this! Facing ruin at the hands of his own family, his offspring! They owed him their very existence! He was the most powerful god that had ever existed! If not for him, Hellas would not exist! How could this happen to him? He was ageless and timeless, a being born of the heavens!

o0o

He was the one who had brought rains to the valleys and fields of this realm, to make things grow to feed gods and mortals alike. He'd existed before Hellas was settled, and had borne witness to hunter-gatherers settling in the area, attracted by the relatively mild weather and fertile lands that were a result of the warming of the continent.

Over the centuries, the Hellenes developed a more sustaining way of life, learning to take seeds from plants and create crops that could feed larger numbers of people instead of relying on gathering from whatever plants they could find within an area. Domestication of animals followed, from chickens to goats. The humans also kept cats and dogs that were descended from those who fed off the vermin that followed the crops, and those who lived off the scraps left by humans. Weapons and tools of leather, flint, and wood were augmented by those of bronze.

The mortals worshiped him as the All-father, the life-giver, the one whose essence seeded the fertile earth to give the humans the sustenance they needed. Sometimes he came down to the land, and coupled with a nubile young girl, but his seed never took root, and he was unable to understand why.

Then Gaea came along. The mortals started to worship her as well, thanking her for the bounty that came from the land. He was intrigued by her, and taken by her beauty.

However, she first took his elder brothers as lovers; Tartarus of the dark realms below the earth, and then Pontus of the deep realms of the sea. He watched with envy as she mated with them, and bore them offspring. The mortals revered her as the All-mother, and went to her for blessings. His desire for her only grew, and he longed to possess her, but every time he came to her, she turned him away, seeking the embrace of her other lovers.

Finally, she accepted his attentions. In her, his seed took root, and she bore him a dozen children, and he took pride in them, for his sons were handsome and his daughters beautiful, and Tartarus and Pontus did not even have that many offspring between them.

His happiness ended when Gara bore him more children. Giants with more arms than they needed and creatures with one eye, were they even his? They could not possibly be, such a god as him could not sire monsters! Yet Gaea insisted that they were his, that she had taken no lovers after him.

He cast them away, refusing to bear the sight of them or acknowledge their existence. He ignored Gaea's tears and anger, and banished his brother's children as well. Hellas was his, and he would have no one, not even Gara, defy his authority!

As more and more people worshiped Gara, his jealousy and ire grew. He turned his wrath upon them, demanding that they worship him and him alone, above all else. Hellas was his first, and it would remain so. He would not allow his mate or children to usurp the adulation he so rightfully deserved.

o0o

His children rose against him, calling him arrogant and cruel, that he was not a good father or ruler. He cursed them and his lover, and lashed out at them, attempting to put them in their place. He was the All-father, and would allow none to challenge his power. He had existed for millennia, and would not see his rule ended! He repelled his offspring, admonishing them, causing the heavens itself to shake with his wrath.

Unfortunately, Kronos proved more crafty than his siblings or mother, by pretending to surrender, bending the knee and swearing fealty to his sire. Kronos had always been his favorite child, for he saw the most of himself in his youngest son than any of his other sons or daughters. Ouranos blessed his son with his power, and Kronos used it to keep his siblings obedient.

He did not realize Kronos' true intentions until it was too late. When he tried to use his power against his son, Kronos simply laughed, wrapping his hands around his father's neck, Ouranos tried to struggle, but Kronos did something that horrified him.

Somehow, when Ouranos tried to use his power, Kronos would merely divert it, his grip tightening. Never in his many centuries of existence had the All-father felt so helpless. His children surrounded him, and one handed the sickle to Kronos.

The blade came down, slicing his flesh. He recognized Gaea's magic in the weapon, and the cuts seared like a thousand flames, not that Ouranos would know since he had never come to physical harm before. He tried to fight, to summon the strength of the heavens, to make the skies lash out at his wayward offspring, but his life and power drained from him with every slash of the sickle.

He looked up at Kronos, who had eyes exactly like his own. He might not have the power to actively bring down those who had betrayed him, but he could still curse them, and so he did.

"Hear this, son of mine!" he managed to gasp out as blood filled his lungs from the puncture wounds to his chest, energy sapping from him as he body tried to heal itself. "For the unforgivable act of betraying your own father, you will suffer the same fate! Fear your own children, and forever rue the day that you brought about my demise!"

His son laughed at him as Ouranos felt the blade slice through his neck, but he saw the tiniest flick of fear in Kronos' eyes before the darkness engulfed him.


	2. I

**I**

o0o

The first memory Hades had was of running through a garden, the soles of his bare feet slapping the blades of grass. He couldn't have been older than two, possibly three summers, but he vividly remembered the sunlight on his face, and the laughter of his older sister as she chased after him.

In due time, Hestia caught him and scooped him up, causing him to squeal and flail his arms as she spun him around. He was set back down but before she let him go, Hestia tickled him, poking his sides and making him giggle and squirm as he tried to escape his playful tormentor.

As he looked up, he saw a man looking back at him from the shadows under the eaves of the palace, and the laughter died in his throat. Although the man made no aggressive move, or issued any threat, the younger god felt a sense of foreboding, a terrifying feeling for one so young.

Kronos was a tall and broad-shouldered man with curly black hair, his face cleanly shaven and making him look much younger than the centuries he had lived. Hades had few memories of him, since he did not spend much time around his children, so this incidence stood out in his memory, even centuries later.

"Father! Will you come play with us?" Hestia asked cheerfully. Kronos stared at his young children for several moments before he turned away.

Hades looked up at her older sister with confusion. Hestia was not yet five, but the resemblance between her and their mother was clear. Her dark auburn hair was pulled back in a loose braid, several wisps having worked their way free. She looked down at him, and though she was smiling, Hades could see the sadness in her eyes.

o0o

If Father was a distant parent, Mother was the opposite. Rhea doted on her children, and Hades had no doubt that he was very much loved. She was wife to the king of the Titans, but she took her role as mother more seriously than she did her crown, and it would not be until much later that Hades or Hestia would realize how much she had shielded them from her husband and his dark moods.

Over the years, Kronos had become increasingly paranoid and cruel, towards mortals and Titans alike. At first, his rule had been a golden age, a welcome respite from Ouranos' tyranny. However, to the horror of his mother and family, Kronos started to take on the traits of the sire he had dismembered.

In the safety and comfort of their father's palace, Kronos' children were shielded from the realities of the outside world, but the truth manifested itself in subtle ways. Prometheus, once a regular visitor and a close friend of their mother's, suddenly stopped visiting them. Hestia would ask after him, and Rhea would tell her that he was simply occupied with this or that, not wishing to tell a young child that Kronos had caught Prometheus giving fire to the mortals and was now being punished savagely for it.

Others were now suffering as well. The Cyclopes, who had once been Kronos' friends, were shunned, and then imprisoned by him, and even his own brothers were becoming alienated from him, but Kronos had been blessed with a devastating Gift, one that made it folly to challenge him directly. So his rule continued, and his madness and cruelty increased.

o0o

Despite their mother's best attempts to shelter them, Hestia and Hades were still aware of something terribly wrong in their lives. Most children were afraid of the dark, but Hades sensed something far more sinister than the shadows that filled the palace even on the sunniest of days.

Then it happened.

Mother was singing to them, holding them close, one arm around each child as they rested their heads on her breasts, feeling her fingers stroke their hair. His hair was straight like his sister's, and he remembered the gentle feeling of Mother's fingernails sliding along his scalp, letting the thick strands of black hair run along her fingers.

The peace was shattered when Kronos snatched him and Hestia, and carried them away, Mother's screams filling the air as she begged him to return her children to her. She fought her husband, trying to pull her children away, but Kronos was far too powerful, and determined to avoid the fate that had been foretold for him with Ouranos' dying breath.

o0o

I know this chapter was short, but I felt it was appropriate given the content. Thanks for enjoying and reviewing my story, it's much appreciated! Your support means a lot to me.


	3. II

**II**

o0o.

The children were cast into a dark chamber, dropped into it as unceremoniously by their sire as he would toss bones away from the table when he had his meals.

There were no lamps, but here the first of Hades' Gifts made itself apparent. He'd always been able to see well at night, but now he could see in complete darkness. They were somewhere under the earth, that much he was able to deduce. The ground and walls were made of crystal, but not the natural kind he'd seen before when Prometheus brought quartz and other crystals to show his nephew and niece.

These crystals were impossibly hard, and it was unthinkable that a grown man should be able to break through them, much less two young children, and they felt cold to the touch.

At first, he thought he was being punished, and so did Hestia. For what, they could not surmise. Time passed by, and they waited. No one came for them, and there was no way out.

Days went by, then weeks and months. He cried for his mother, and Hestia did her best to comfort him, but then she would cry as well. They would scream and beg to be let out, but no one ever responded to their cries for help.

Gods don't die when they're without food, but a god is still made of flesh, and the flesh, mortal or not, has needs. After a while, he simply stopped feeling hungry or thirsty, and ceased talking.

o0o

After what seemed like almost forever, another child was thrown in, a girl with wavy hair the color of ripe wheat, something Hades barely remembers after his time in the darkness. He did not speak, but Hestia did, her voice barely a whisper after being silent for so long.

Demeter was was inconsolable at first, missing her mother and frightened of the darkness. But in time, like her older siblings, she fell silent, withering like a flower denied sunlight.

o0o

Poseidon was next, and then Hera. Despite being stunted by their lack of food and sunlight, they manage to grow. Hestia is the first to develop a Gift that really helps them. It is one of the things that will later give her the position of Goddess of the Hearth, her ability to produce a flame, and from this, light. Hades already knows what everyone else looks like because of his ability to see in the darkness, but for the others, it is their first time seeing one another.

Like his older brother, Poseidon has black hair, but it is curly like their father's. However, his eyes are sea-blue, not black. Hera has dark brown hair, like freshly-turned earth, and her eyes are the same rich brown as their mother's. Demeter's eyes were green like grass, and Hestia has eyes the color of dark gold. These eyes blink rapidly at the first light they've seen in years.

A flame normally does not take much power to create, but for Hestia, it takes much of what little strength she does have. She is unable to keep it going all the time, but even intermittent respites from the darkness are welcome, and the small light fills them with hope. They are still silent much of the time, but the silence is occasionally broken by conversation, of the things they miss, the mother they want to see again, and the father who condemned them to this fate.

o0o

Hades learns that he can feel things in the shadows. His hearing is not quite as acute as the others' because he is able to see in the darkness and didn't come to rely on his hearing to the degree that his siblings had to. However, when he closed his eyes, he realized he could still tell where the others were, his senses expanding into the void of darkness, the shadows becoming almost an extension of himself, as palpable and receptive as the nerves under his skin.

o0o

Demeter is next to manifest her Gift. Where Hades was able to see and use the darkness, his sister does almost the opposite. At first the life-energy came to them as sparingly as a drop of rain in the desert, but Demeter became more adept in the use of her Gift. The drips become a trickle as Demeter became able to sense, and pull in more life-energy from the world above them. Hestia's flame appeared oftener, and more strongly.

When Poseidon sensed water under their prison, Hades managed to control the shadows enough to create a crack in the floor, bringing the water to them and giving them the first material nourishment they have had since they were thrown into this pit.

Hades became blissfully aware that if he was able to accomplish this feat, he should in time be able to free himself and his siblings, although it will take time for him to build up enough strength to do so.

o0o

Hera sometimes had strange dreams, visions of their parents, and the world that they were cut off from. She also saw things that have never occured, like Hades sitting on a dark throne surrounded by ethereal beings, Demeter in the sunlight, surrounded by a sea that shares the same dark golden hue of her hair, or Poseidon riding the waves, with the wind blowing against a healthy, tanned face.

Hestia has her own visions, through flame. When she looked into her own fire, she was sometimes able to see other things, through the flames on the surface world, mortals praying and making sacrifices, begging for mercy and kindness, for justice and peace. Through bits and pieces, the offspring of Kronos were able to put together a picture of the world, and the state that their father had put it in. The other Titans were cowed before him, some of them prisoners as well.

o0o

Thanks to the nourishment that his siblings gave him, Hades finally gained enough strength to break through the confines that Kronos would keep them in forever. The sunlight nearly blinded them all, and the fresh air felt like it was burning their lungs.

Though they wanted to take refuge in the nearest spot that seemed safe, Hera insisted that they continue searching until she was satisfied. They were almost like babies, having to learn how to walk on varying terrain, being curious and mystified about this and that, tasting vegetables and roots and berries for the first time in years. Demeter's Gift especially flourished when she learned that she could command plants to grow rapidly, providing them with the food they needed so long as they could find seeds.

In time, a few nymphs started coming to their aid after sensing Demeter's use of her Gift. They taught her the secrets of Nature, and took great risks in hiding them and moving them from place to place, telling them of their father's cruelty, how he was a feared and despised ruler. His power was terrifying, and all of Hellas lived in fear that he might one day go so far as to destroy it all. Even his own mother was unable to stop him. If mighty Gaea could not end his rule, what hope was there?

o0o

Years went by in hiding, with each of the siblings coming into and mastering their powers the best they can. Kronos searched for them, but they kept themselves hidden with their Gifts. Poseidon took refuge in the ocean, and Demeter went with him. Hades used the darkness to keep Hestia and Hera safe, taking refuge in the mountains and finding caves which suited his purpose. He used the darkness to keep them hidden without, and Hestia offered illumination from within.

Even without Demeter and her mastery over plants, they were still able to keep themselves nourished, for Hades had become an adept hunter, and he would bring his sisters out at night to forage.

Through the nymphs that sparsely populated the mountains, Hades was able to keep abreast of knowledge that Hestia was unable to access through her flame. The nymphs were all too eager to give him all the knowledge they possessed, for they too wanted the reign of Kronos to end. Kronos' increasingly twisted reign had thrown Nature out of balance, affecting god, nymph, and mortal alike.

No one knew the exact nature of Kronos' Gift, but whatever it was, it kept the other gods from facing, much less defeating him. It was rumored that his Gift allowed him to steal energy from others, and suck life from them. There was no one to confirm this grisly story, but the imbalance that Demeter sensed in nature did give credence to the theory.

Whatever the truth was, Hades knew that he and his siblings would have to truly master their Gifts, and amass an incredible amount of energy if they had any hope of ending their father's tyranny.


	4. III

III

o0o

Hera had visions of a young god wielding lightning, his eyes as blue as the sky. Hestia confirmed the existence of such a person, seeing him through the fires of the nymphs that had raised Zeus in secret. The resemblance between him and Poseidon was unmistakable, and Hades wondered how it was that Kronos had not sent him to the same fate he would condemn his other children.  
Suddenly, he remembered. It had been after Hera had been cast into the pit with her older siblings. Something had been thrown into the pit, and at first, they had all thought it was another sibling, but Hades was the first to see that whatever it was, it was not alive, because it had made a thudding sound that flesh could not.  
It revealed itself to be a rock in the form of a baby, swaddled in a blanket. This object had mystified them back then, but now thinking about it, it made perfect sense. He did not know how Rhea had managed to fool Kronos into thinking this was his sixth and youngest child, but her success was apparent in the fact that Zeus was thriving in his adoptive environment.  
His existence was a closely-guarded secret; even the nymphs that regularly brought news to Hades were not aware of him. The fact that Hestia and Hera were able to see him was no small feat, and Hades instinctively knew that adding the strength of this young god to their own was necessary for victory.

o0o

Hades decided to observe him first, to see what kind of person he was, and to be sure that he was really his brother. He'd heard often enough from the nymphs about Kronos' craftiness, and how he laid traps to catch anyone who might oppose or betray him.  
Zeus had been hidden far away from Kronos, taken across the sea to the island of Crete on the very night that Rhea had plied her husband with so much drink that he mistook a rock for his youngest child.  
Rhea and Gara wove many spells around the island and around Zeus himself, to keep him hidden from his father. Hades was able to sense these powerful magics, but he was able to slide through the shadows, an use of his Gift he had learned to master while eluding his father's dread sorcery.  
Unlike Hellas, Crete was free of Kronos' influence, though that would change in due time as the sphere of Kronos' influence expanded, slowly but surely.  
The island was a happy and pastoral place, where shepherd tended to their sheep and farmers eked out a living from the land. This was long before Crete had kings, and before there was even a need for one.  
He remained in the shadows at first, observing his brother and the trio of nymphs assigned to his care. There was Adamanthea, the eldest of the trio, and her sisters, Cynosura and Melissa. It was hard for Hades to not feel a twinge of envy at the fact that Zeus spent his childhood in this place, cared for by nymphs while his elder siblings spent their own youth in a prison devoid of any warmth or comfort.


	5. IV

**IV**

o0o

Like all of his siblings, Hades learned to explore and apply various aspects of his Gift. In the pit, the siblings had extremely limited venues with which to try to augment their innate abilities, but once they were out in the world, their opportunities seemed almost limitless.

It was easy enough to find refuge in caves, thickly-forested areas, or at night, using the shadows to keep himself and his siblings concealed, but when he was in sunlight, it was almost like another world entirely. It was much more difficult to shroud himself in shadow as there was very little of the darkness to start with, like under blades of grass in a meadow, and that in itself made him noticeable. Shadows belonged in certain places, and if it went where it did not, it was immediately obvious.

He was only able to make his trips to Crete during the night, when he could command his shadows to take him across the water. Once dawn broke, it became more difficult to use his Gift, especially as the sun rose and the shadows became shorter. It was a relief for him when the end of day approached, the shadows elongating during the evening before night took over completely.

This was a problem for Hades when he was in open spaces during the day, so he tended to avoid these situations, a decision that most would see as prudent.

However, Hades recognized this as a weakness. If he were to overcome his enemies, current or potential ones, he would have to find a way to compensate for this apparent shortcoming in his Gift.

o0o

He would come out of hiding during the evenings, and with his Gift, he was able to cover much more ground than any of his siblings could within any given time-span. Using the darkness, he was able to eavesdrop on any conversation he wished, whether it be nymph or mortal. From the mortals, he was able to learn just how difficult Kronos made life for them.

The King of the Titans was a demanding god, one who required many tributes and sacrifices to keep sated – just barely. It was almost hard to believe that the reign of Kronos had once been seen as a golden age. Cities that had once flourished in the beginning of the Titanomachy had become little more than nests of despair, where humans turned onto one another in a desperate attempt to stay alive.

The nymphs lived in constant despair as well, because they were not free from the violence of Kronos' reign simply because of their divinity. Kronos let his brothers and nephews roam Hellas freely, having their pleasure of nymphs at will, though mortal women were all too often the victims of their games.

His Gift was a blessing, but also a curse because it enabled him to hear and see much more than most people ever could, and this included ugliness he'd never before imagined existed.

o0o

Hades cursed himself as the shadows shortened with each moment, leaving him more and more vulnerable. Normally he was much more careful in keeping track of time and ensuring that he was safe in whatever refuge was designated at the moment, but he had been so distracted that he had not noticed the pre-dawn sky. Even after the sun started to rise, he could still navigate the numerous shadows that were afforded during early morning, he had made a gross miscalculation this time around.

His safe haven, and his sisters were still many leagues away, and he was trapped in a forest that was more sparse than he would have liked, especially during a cloudless morning. He squinted, shielding his eyes as he saw the sun between the trees, knowing his trip home would be a lot longer, unless he found a hiding place and waited for night.

Suddenly, he heard a scream, and stilled. A moment later, there was a yell, almost a roar.

"It's useless to run, but if you lie down, I might be nice!" said the origin of the roar, which Hades quickly surmised was a male. Whether he be human, or monster, Hades was not sure of. He'd heard stories of various monsters that Kronos had unleashed unto Hellas.

Hades quickly hid behind a tree, his heart pounding. He'd never faced down a monster before, and he had no real weapons training.

God he might be, but he was still young, not yet three decades old. For a mortal, that would be considered fully grown, and he knew that many mortal men would be fathers by now. But for a god, three decades was almost a baby, especially compared to those of the age of Kronos and his siblings.

 _Let it be a mortal_ , he silently prayed. Kronos was responsible for a great amount of evil and suffering, to be sure, but mortals could be capable of the same. Some did it out of desperation, others did it out of malice.

Though he did not have the same gifts for divining as his sisters, he sensed that the hunted was a nymph, due to the faint magical aura she had. The aura of her pursuer became clearer as he approached, and Hades realized with dismay that it was a god. If it was one of Kronos' siblings, he might very well meet his demise.

He had two choices. He could either remain under the shadow of the tree and use it to conceal himself, or he could try to help the nymph. The smell of smoke reached his nostrils, and he peeked around the tree, eyes widening in dismay as he saw a rapidly-approaching wall of flame.

The nymph saw him, and their eyes met. He stepped from behind the tree and started running, occasionally looking over his shoulder at her, beckoning her forward, hoping she would catch up. His heart pounding, he felt no small amount of relief when he saw the trees thinning out, and he finally burst out into a field.

The nymph was not long in catching up, and he reached out to grab her. She started to scream, but he placed his hand over her mouth.

"Sh. I will not harm you." he whispered, willing what few shadows he could see and feel to come to him as the flame approached the edge of the forest. He saw a shadow in the flame, and a tall, young man burst through it, evil intent scrawled across his features. He was a handsome one, but the cruelty in his eyes and smirk would give an admirer pause. With the raging inferno behind him, he seemed like malice given form, and Hades shuddered when the Titan looked at them.

 _Be unseen_. A faint tingle stirred in the back of his head, almost at the base of his tongue as the Titan approached them. His hair and eyes were dark, and Hades recognized an echo of the features that his brothers and himself possessed.

 _Be unseen_. He felt the nymph's body against her own as she shivered, trying to flee his grip. The tingle became stronger, and he saw confusion flash across the Titan's features as he continued his approach.

 _Be unseen._

"Where did you..." The Titan looked at where they were standing, pausing for a moment before approaching again. Instinctively, Hades scooped his companion up with his other arm and stepped to the side, so that their pursuer walked through where they had been standing.

He did not dare lift his hand away from the nymph's mouth, but gave her what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze as he took several more steps back.

"Where did you go!' the young Titan roared, spinning around in fury. "Dammit, where did you go! What trickery is this!"

Hades simply continued to back away slowly. Since the ground was sparsely vegetated, he was able to avoid stepping on grass. The ground was so dry and hard that the footprints he left would have been difficult to discern even to those actively looking for them.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" the Titan yelled as the fire continued to burn behind him. The trees in the forest were already sickly, many of them dry or dead, so the fire raged on brilliantly, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. The flames seemed to rise with his rage and frustration.

Hades could not help but be impressed, for Hestia had never created fire of this magnitude. If the rest of the Titans were this powerful, it was no wonder that Kronos' minions were able to terrorize Hellas so well. The heat was making him uncomfortable, and he continued to make his retreat as silently as possible.

o0o

The buzzing in the back of his head had become painful by the time he made his way over a small hill and to the foot of it at the other side, completely obscuring him from the Titan's view. He set the nymph on the grass gently, able to feel her even if he could not see her.

"I am going to release you. You still need to be quiet though, I do not know how well he can hear, and I would rather take no risks." he said, his voice barely a whisper. He felt her nod, and slowly lifts his hand.

As soon as he broke physical contact with her, she became visible. He closed his eyes for a moment, wishing the pain would stop, and it did. He heard a soft gasp, and opened his eyes to see her staring at him.

"How did you..." she asked softly. He shrugged, and they stared at one another for several moments, studying one another. She has dark brown hair, and dark green eyes, with light olive skin. Her tunic is torn, revealing a breast, something he had not taken note of before. Quickly, he averted his eyes.

"Thank you for... saving me."

He nodded slowly, still hearing wariness in her voice. Given what he had learned of the world, he would be cautious if he were her, as well. She might very well have been rescued from one potential abductor only to fall into the hands of another one.

"Stay here." He willed himself to be unseen again, this time prepared for the tingling at the base of his tongue before he rose to his feet, climbing up the hill to see the Titan make a wide berth of the clearing, sending wide arcs of flame in all directions. He dropped down just as a jet of flame burst towards the hill, moving from left to right, passing through the spot where he had been standing just moments before.

Obviously still angry, the Titan finally decided that his prey had eluded him, and with an angry growl, ran back to the wall of flame, disappearing into it.

Hades flopped back onto the ground, becoming visible again. The nymph remained where she was, several paces, away, eying him curiously.

"He's gone."

She closed her eyes and let out her breath in a slow exhale before taking a deep breath.

"Who was that?" he inquired.

"Kelos. Though he was not always know by that name."

"What do you mean?" They were still whispering, even though Kelos was gone.

"He used to be a river-god. But then he went over to Kronos, and he was... changed."

 _Changed_. Hades mulled over that, considering the implications. The children of Okeanos and Tethys were many, but as far as he knew, none of them had any Gift for fire. He briefly imagined Poseidon and fire, and was unable to effectively place the two together. "How does this... change happen?"

"I do not know. But all who go over to Kronos and swear allegiance with him, they change. He makes them stronger, and sometimes he even changes their Gift."

As disturbed as he was by that implication, he set that aside, assessing the fact that he had just learned something new today. This nymph could be a valuable source of information.

She sat up and climbed up the slope, staring at the still-raging inferno in dismay. "My home is gone."

Hades considered his options. He could simply leave the nymph on her own, to find a new place to live, or...

"You could come with me. I know a place that is safe for nymphs."

"You would do that?" She sounded surprised, almost as if she didn't expect such kindness from a man. What had she been through, he wondered.

"You can't remain here, obviously. And it would not be right of me to... just leave you to possible danger. Kelos might come back, or someone else."

"Of course. But... what is your name?"

 _Oh, of course_. They didn't even know one another's names! "I am Aidoneus." He and the others thought it best to not use their given names, lest Kronos catch wind of them. If any of their assumed names ever reached his ears, he would not suspect they were his progeny. He had chosen the name because it represented him so well – it meant 'hidden'.

"And I am Leuke."


	6. V

**V**

o0o

After he brought Leuke back to the mountain refuge he shared with his sisters, he did some thinking. He'd never come face-to-face with a Titan, though he'd heard well often enough of them. The encounter had been... sobering, to say the least. He knew he was nowhere near strong enough to face down his father, but the fact that a young Titan had been able to frighten him brought a realization to him.

He turned to his older sister, who was meditating in front of the fire that danced cheerfully in the circle of rocks she had assembled.

"We can not hide forever," he stated as he sat across from her. She looked up at him from under the hood of her cowl. Hestia always liked to keep herself covered, even around her brothers or other women. Hades suspected it was more than just shyness that made her so modest, but he never commented on it.

"I know." Hestia's eyes were golden from the fire reflected in them. After he brought Leuke back, he and Hestia had questioned her, and the nymph had eagerly answered them with everything she knew. Hades and Hestia shared an innate ability to discern lie from truth, and everything they learned from Leuke was true, at least to the nymph's knowledge. She now lived with the other nymphs amidst the mountains, although life was harder for her, being unused to the rocky clime.

"Leuke has given us some valuable information. We should start seeking allies."

"Much of what she knows is rumor," Hestia pointed out. The same could be said of what the other nymphs knew. Kronos was a secretive man, and though some of his allies were obvious, like his brothers Krios and Iapetus, many were not as obvious. Hades did not doubt that some were merely pretending to be allies with Kronos to escape his wrath, but who?

"What about Hyperion? It is said that Kronos has his children hostage to force his cooperation. By others than Leuke," Hades quickly added the last sentence. Given all the things he heard about his father, it did not surprise him the least that the tyrant god should hold loved ones hostage to force someone's hand.

"There is that." Hestia conceded. "I know where he lives. He always has fires going in his palace."

"I will observe him from the shadows and determine the veracity of these rumors. If the story is true..."

"He might still say no, our of fear for their safety."

"So we wait and do nothing?" Hades asked in a tone sharper than he intended.

"No." The siblings both turned at the sound of Hera's voice, seeing her standing in the cleft of rock that served as the doorway to the chamber where Hestia kept her flame.

"Go, seek Hyperion. He is a father who grieves for his children," Hera stated in the usual quiet but firm tone she had whenever she had a vision.

o0o

The majesty of Hyperion's villa was visible even under the limited light of the waning moon, but just as apparent to Hades was its gloom.

To the mortals, Hyperion was the sun. They believed that he rode his chariot day after day, that he was the very source of the light that nourished Hellas. His home reflects that, from the sun motif in the gate to the solar-themed mosaic that covered the ground of the courtyard, made up of varying pieces of marble ranging from red to yellow and gold to white. During the day, the residence of Hyperion would have been an impressive sight, just as intended. Even at night the home holds a quiet majesty befitting the Titan who was worshiped as the sun.

However, the sadness was practically palpable to Hades, and he recalled Hera's words about Hyperion's grief. Effortlessly, he slid into the house, bypassing the magics that Hyperion set up just as easily as he had the magic on Crete shielding Zeus from Kronos.

It was not difficult to find his uncle. Hyperion sat in front of the fire, his breath reeking of alcohol. Hades had seen this in mortals before, though it was much more rare for mortals to obtain alcohol, or the ingredients needed for it, than a Titan. With a life filled with so much despair, it was all too easy to seek refuge in the embrace of alcohol.

A Titan was no different from a mortal in that aspect, Hades noted as he watched Hyperion take a swig from a flask before setting it down. He was a handsome man, with some resemblance to Kronos, but even under this dim light no one could mistake him for his younger brother. He had dark gold hair, and his face than Kronos'.

A similarly-aged woman emerged through the doorway, bringing a platter of food to Hyperion. From their behavior towards one another, Hades surmised this was Theia, his wife. Like Hyperion, she had a passing resemblance to a sibling, this one being Rhea. They had the same nose and chin, but like with Hyperion, she couldn't be confused for a sibling.

Hades paused as he grasped at a foggy memory of his mother. It'd been almost three decades since he saw his mother, but even now he could not see Rhea. Kronos guarded her jealously, according to the stories, and she had not been seen for several years now.

He quickly pulled his thoughts back to the present, focusing on his mission. He realized that right now, he was an intruder, but he did not dare approach the gate in daylight as a normal guest would. Kronos likely had his brother under surveillance.

"Love, please eat," Theia begged as she offered her husband the platter. On it was some flatbread, along with cheese and olives.

"I am not hungry!" Hyperion growled, but Hades sensed that this growl was not directed at Theia.

"I know you miss the children. Do you think I do not grieve for them?" Theia asked. She set the platter aside and drew to her knees, resting her hands in his lap. Hyperion looked down at her, placing his hand across her own.

"How did it come to this?' he asked, his voice raw.

"Remember what Kronos was told as he cut Ouranos' head off."

"So he imprisoned his own children, why mine?"

"Sometimes, to avert a prophecy, people take... drastic measures."

"How did we become so powerless to stop him?" Hyperion demanded. "How have we become so cowed by our little brother?"

Theia was silent.

"If you want his reign to end, you can not simply sit back and do nothing." Hades said quietly, so as to not startle them too much. Theia's head snapped up, and Hyperion looked in his direction warily. Hades allowed himself to become visible, and took several steps to let the firelight illuminate him better.

"Kronos...?" Hyperion said, immediate alarm breaking through his alcohol-induced fog.

"No. Hades," he said, letting that name linger for several moments. Did he really resemble his father that much? When his facial hair had started coming in, he simply let it grow.

Hyperion was on his feet. "Hades. But that's impossible, you..."

"Escaped."

Hyperion and Theia stared at him for several long moments.

"How do we know it's not a trick?" Theia asked quietly.

"What can I do to prove myself? I seek an end to his reign as much as you do, and you and I both know that it can not be done alone." He did not miss the glimmer of hope in their eyes, but he also saw their wariness.

Without warning, Hyperion lunged at him. Instinctively, a barrier of shadow sprung up, separating him from his uncle as he heard Hyperion's grunt.

"Kronos is a dark man, but even he can not manipulate shadows," Theia observed. He lowered the shield and offered his hand to his would-be assailant. Hyperion did not take it, choosing instead to push himself to his feet.

"What was it that Ouranos said to Kronos?" Hades asked, having remembered that from earlier.

Hyperion looked at him for several moments before he spoke. "That the cycle would repeat itself, and Kronos would be felled by his own son."

"Then why not kill his children?"

Theia spoke. "Gaea would know if the blood of her line had been spilled. That is why he does not kill his brethren. Prometheus and Atlas are both imprisoned, even though it would be easier for Kronos to kill them."

"If I were to free them, they would join the cause?"

"If you can find a way to free them," Hyperion cautioned. Hades looked from husband to wife, studying them, remembering Hera's words.

"If I were to free your children, will you join me?" Hades finally asked.

"Yes!' the older god replied without a second thought. Theia nodded eagerly.

o0o

Thanks to everyone for their feedback and support! I'll answer a question from a reviewer – will Persephone be in here? Yes, but this story centers on Hades.

I know some of the chapters are short, but I am writing this in a different format than Seeds, and the pace of storytelling necessitates some pretty short chapters, others will be longer. I hope y'all are enjoying this story, and I welcome your thoughts!


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